Dublin Vegfest 2020 update

Hi! We hope you are doing OK and keeping in good health. We want to update you about Vegfest 2020. We decided that we will not be hosting Dublin Vegfest this year. We waited until the “reopening” had happened and people started to move around again before publishing this. We felt this would help people appreciate our decision and it won’t come as a big surprise! Obviously this is disappointing for us as a huge amount of work had gone into the event by March of this year when the severity of the pandemic became evident and restrictions came in to place. Cancelling Vegfest for this year is the most appropriate thing to do.

We want to extend our sympathies to people who have lost a relative or loved one during the pandemic. And say thank you to anyone that has worked to provide our essential services. Especially our nurses and health care workers.

We will miss working with our brilliant crew this year. Seeing attendees filling the event with energy. Our wonderful speakers and event hosts. Thank you all for making each previous year’s event possible and boosting veganism in Ireland. We are focused on next year now and looking forward to meeting you again at our small, vibrant and totally vegan festival in 2021. When hopefully we can gather in safety with confidence. In the meantime, we are working on ideas that we hope to share with you at some point in the near future.

We have read in the mainstream media that there was a desire to get “back to normal”. We appreciate this sentiment! but can’t help thinking that “normal” was not good enough. Before the pandemic we were in the midst of a Climate Emergency. We still are. Animals are still being killed for human consumption at a phenomenal rate: 50 billion plus annually. And in Ireland our front-line workers are exhausted keeping people safe while meat plants, exempted from closure, have become clusters of Covid 19 infection due to “unsafe” work conditions. This is all the more disturbing because the Covid 19 pandemic most likely started from inside the meat industry.

It is a stressful time for sure. If you are feeling anxious or worried there is support: https://www.aware.ie/support/support-line/

There is nothing positive about this pandemic situation but some things that have happened during the crisis like reports that people are questioning their role as consumers of meat and animal products. Some animal shelters saying they are empty for the very first time since operating. Tenants rents in Ireland being frozen, evictions being made illegal, a basic income payment for people the pedestrianisation of our towns and cycling infrastructure are being acknowledged as sensible and socially positive. This has only been possible because of the continued work and effort of campaigners and activists over many years. We are inspired by people working together under the Black Lives Matter Banner to demand system change and an end to racism in the US, around the world and here in Ireland too. Social change for the good can happen fast if there is a will and enough pressure to do it. From a vegan and Animal Rights perspective that is exciting.

Thank you again for your support and being part of everything so far. Stay safe and connected with us on our social media for that: Facebook, Instagram; twitter.

We always aim to support and work with independent vegan producers and non profit organisations. They are still working away. Please support them when and if you can:

FOOD Businesses:

Earth Cafe Cork; Meanwell Wholefoods; Cornucopia Restaurant;

FiiD; Shoots & Roots; Hidden Heroes; UMI Falafel;

Kale and Coco; Hemp Heros; Feashty

Agatrix Natural Nutrition; Vegan Sandwich Co; Veganko

V-face; My Goodness Cork; The Crazy Vegetable

The Vegan Kitchen; MKE NYUMBANI; The Saucy Cow

Bluebird Kitchen; Date Almonds; Mihu’s Alternatives

Buttercream Dream; BLENDI; Chocolatey Clare

Healthy Treats Kitchen; Om Nibbles; The Eating House;

Nature’s Pocket; The Coconut Collaborative; Vera Miklas;

Art of Zen Foods; Feel Fine Food; Magic Mayan; MUDITA